Newsworthy Newlyweds
How Steven Romo and Stephen Morgan became “The Stev/phens.”
TV news reporters Steven Romo, 38, and Stephen Morgan, 33, didn’t know they were going to meet on that fateful night in 2018 when their respective news stations sent them to cover a candidate’s concession speech at a Mexican restaurant in Houston. The two briefly spoke during the event before going their separate ways and then connected online a few times through Instagram. In hindsight, the biggest story to develop out of that particular assignment was that by October 8, 2022, the two men would be married, living in New York, and contemplating dog parentage.
Their first date didn’t come any time soon after their meet-cute at the election-night party. “It took two years (and ensuing breakups) for our friendly DMs to finally turn flirtatious,” Romo recalls. ‘We set a coffee date on November 1, 2020, and figured out pretty quickly that we were a good fit.”
During the early days of their relationship, Morgan was a reporter (and eventually a meteorologist) at Houston’s FOX 26. Romo was with ABC 13.
Then in August 2021, the couple decided to move to New York City together to pursue different career opportunities. Morgan had secured a dream job with FOX Weather when it launched. And although Romo had a big opportunity in Houston when he was offered ABC 13’s morning anchor position, he opted to take a big leap of faith and move with Morgan to the Big Apple.
“I’d spent my entire adult life working toward my career goals,” Romo notes, “so it was a surprise to just about everyone when I decided to pass on that opportunity and roll the dice in New York, even though I did not have any clear job prospects lined up. I was lucky enough to get hired as a freelance anchor at NBC News, and they made me a full-time New York-based correspondent this summer.”
“Without a doubt, Steven quitting his Houston career that he’d chased for more than a decade to move with me to New York City will always take the cake as being the most romantic thing he has ever done for me. I mean, come on! Who does that?” says Morgan.
The two men got engaged the same weekend they were looking for an apartment in Manhattan. Romo proposed to Morgan with two rings he had gotten before the move.
He had planned to wait until they had dated for at least a year, but he only held out for eight months before deciding he had to pop the question.
“We were walking down Sixth Avenue, and as we leaned against some huge concrete planters, I pulled out the rings and asked him if he’d marry me,” says Romo.
“I was so surprised that for a brief second I was speechless,” Morgan admits. “I even put my hand over my mouth. I finally said, ‘Yes I will!’ We kissed, took a quick selfie, and then walked to Sean’s Pub in Midtown to grab a drink.”
The story of their engagement and eventual marriage has garnered national attention following last month’s story in People magazine. The story reported that both men came out as gay at the same time they announced their engagement on Instagram. Although the Instagram post may have been their public coming-out, the two men had been living openly among friends and family long before that.
“It was about a month after we got engaged that we decided to share the news on social media,” Morgan explains. “Taking that step became increasingly important because I had several friends [tell me that] they were happy for Steven and me, but would “keep it a secret.” They assumed we wanted it kept under wraps, which was not the case. That felt weird. We were so happy to talk about our engagement, and didn’t care who knew. But the unique burden of [trying to hide your sexuality] weighs on everyone differently. There’s no formula for coming out; it should be done whenever [you feel] the time is right. I’m so lucky I got to share that moment with Steven.”
“We didn’t know the announcement would get as much attention as it did,” Romo adds. “I didn’t view it as a coming-out post as much as I considered it an engagement announcement. I’d been out to my family and friends for years. For many LGBTQ+ people, there isn’t just one coming-out. It’s constant. I come out at least once every couple of weeks while meeting new people who assume I’m straight. So the focus on the coming-out part of that post surprised me a bit. The response was overwhelming and positive, though.
I was grateful for all the kind messages—which helped drown out the hateful ones.”
Their October, 2022 wedding ceremony at White Rock Lake in Dallas included several friends and family members. Since both men had experienced rocky relationships with their parents regarding being gay, it was especially meaningful to Morgan when his father blessed their marriage.
“After our first kiss, our officiant introduced us as “The Stev/phens,” so that was memorable,” Morgan says. “During the reception, we had our sisters give toasts. They were our best ladies because they’re also our best friends. My sister, Robbie Voss, had me in tears. My dad, Bob Morgan, gave the blessing before everyone ate. It still doesn’t feel real that my dad blessed our marriage—a gay marriage! It’s been quite the journey for my family.”
“So many of the wedding traditions we’re familiar with are rooted in heteronormativity. We didn’t want to emulate a straight couple,” Romo emphasizes. “We wanted to do what felt right to us. So no one gave us away; no one threw a bouquet. We didn’t have a bridal march. Stephen and I approached the altar from either side. After the vows and ring exchange, we exited together down the center aisle together. We also had both men and women in each wedding party. We couldn’t decide who would deliver their vows first, so we played Rock, Paper, Scissors after we got to the altar to figure it out.”
“There was so much that went into making our wedding so special, and we wanted the ceremony to highlight the love that Steven and I fought for, and finally found,” Morgan adds. “Steven’s vows were beautiful. They were written so well that it reminded me of our first date we had in Houston. The honesty and vulnerability were on display. He was funny, so thoughtful, and elegantly authentic. I married the best person ever!”
Now living in New York, the men are building their careers in the city that never sleeps. They have nine nieces and nephews between the two of them, and they all love getting together as they consider becoming parents
of a dog at some point down the line. For now, though, they are enjoying their first year in the Big Apple as newsworthy newlyweds.
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